in baking, cooking, eating, kayaking, reading, running, snowshoeing, traveling, and just being me.

January 18, 2015

We just finished an 8 day cruise that was successful (we hit target) and expensive (I've spent my paycheque before we get paid!).

We had two long sea days at the beginning of the cruise and then our first port was San Juan, Puerto Rico. About 6 of us thought about going to the Bacardi Distillery but we were worried about timing... last time I went with Jorge, Victoria and Karl we cut it very close and only just made all aboard. This week we had a general emergency drill meaning ouldn't get off ship until 11am, back on board was 230pm so it was a no go.

After boat drill Trudy and I decided to check out the ferry schedule and fares for next time. Only we couldn't wait for next time. The ferry was leaving in 5 mins and cost 50c. We went.

Ferry ride from Old San Juan to Catano took about 10 mins 50c each way

Taxi from ferry terminal to Bacardi 10 minutes $3.00 per person each way

Barcardi tour - 1 hour, $12.00 includes a souvenir glass and one drink. There is an option for a 2 hour tour that includes a mixology class and three drinks for $35.00. We might have done that except for the timing.

The tour is the same as I took last time with Victoria, Jorge and Karl expect Trudy and I didn't have to cut it short we actually stayed until the end and we even had time to browse the gift shop. I passed on the $85.00 bottle of limited reserve rum with personalized engraving on the bottle and I also passed on the very cute rum barrel.

Antigua was our next stop, the only time we stop there. Antigua has 365 beaches. One for every day of the year. We only had time to visit one. Trudy, Lavinia and I spent the day at Jolly Beach.

When I think of Caribbean beaches, this is what I imagine. Glaringly bright sun, blue blue green water and white sand. Thank heavens for cloud cover.

A good few hours were spent doing nothing but floating in the water, laying in the sun to soak up some vitamin D, laying under the beach umbrella to avoid looking like a lobster, reading a few pages of my book, or just people watching.

(my toes are not sunburnt, I accidently had the vivid colour setting on my camera turned on!)

This photo makes me laugh...the tanned Romanian, Lavinina between the lily white South African and Australian!

I wish we stopped in Antigua more than once. It was a beautiful, relaxing day.

Our third stop of the cruise was St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Again we only stop here once. When I was on Liberty last year we stopped here every other week, I very much like St Thomas... beaches, shopping, skyride, ice bar, resorts, lots to do.

With so much to do, what did I do? Ummmm....spent money. Lots of it. Mainly on speakers for Shaun, but I'm going to use them until I take them home! He'll just have to wait patiently. I did also get some jewelery and a headphones for me. And drooled over a very pretty diamond palm tree necklace but that stayed in the store.

Last stop for this cruise was Nassau, in the Bahamas. It's not my first time in Nassau and it won't be my last. Nassau is on our itinerary quite a few time. Unfortunately it's not really a place that interests me much, and there's always rumours of tourists being mugged etc etc. We just had a quick bite to eat, tried to find some fast internet and then went back to the ship for a nap.

January 10, 2015

Every ship is different. But this is how we spent New Years Eve. Our itinerary had us docking in Aruba from 2pm-11pm.

The shop was open in the morning from 930am to 1230pm. Then we were closed for the rest of the day. Well that was the original plan. But for various reasons we had to open in the evening as well. Instead of the whole team working only the three shoppies who were port manning had to work. Guess What? That was me.

So this was my day:

Worked in the shop in the morning.

Had lunch in the crew mess.

Went for my last run of 2015 on the running track on deck 11.

Did a load of laundry.

Watched the movie on the big screen on lido deck and read my book/napped.

Watched the sunset over Aruba.

Had New Years Eve dinner in the crew mess with Trudy, Vikas and Sachin.

Worked from 8-10pm.

Had some photos taken on the promenade deck with Marion and Zolia in our party dresses.

Toasted out the old year and welcomed in the new year with a glass of champagne.

Counted down to New Year with our shop team and 2000+ guests and crew on the open deck.

Had a few drinks to ring in the new year with Trudy, Vikas, Sachin and Jin.